UEFA have handed Liverpool a huge boost in the Premier League title race.
On Wednesday, Liverpool reasserted their control in the Premier League title race by dispatching Luton Town 4-1 at Anfield.
Despite Luton taking the lead after 12 minutes through Chiedozie Ogbene, Liverpool claimed an emphatic win courtesy of goals from Virgil Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott.
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Liverpool’s recovery has seen them go four points clear in the Premier League title race, having played a game more than nearest challengers Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Reds’ chances of winning a second Premier League title in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club have been given a further boost.
Liverpool were drawn against Sparta Prague in the last-16 of the Europa League - a tie Klopp will be happy with considering some of the alternatives on offer.
While Qarabag would have perhaps been the easiest tie of the round, Liverpool have saved themselves a lengthy away trip to Azerbaijan, which would have been scheduled just days before a heavyweight encounter with City.
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The Reds have also avoided potentially tricky encounters against the likes of AC Milan, Benfica, Sporting CP and Roma.
Working against Liverpool’s title chances, however, is their lengthy injury list.
Speaking ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, Pep Lijnders said that Alisson Becker has a “muscle injury; Trent, LCL; Jota, medial ligament, MCL. Curtis [has] a high ankle sprain. They will be longer out.”
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He added: “Curtis is probably the first one [to come back] around the international break. All the others will be after the international break.
“Dom [Szoboszlai], Darwin [Nunez[ and Mo [Salah] we have to really see. We have two more days.
“So today’s session and tomorrow’s session. We will check if they can be there. Would be great, to be honest!”
Topics: Liverpool, Premier League, Europa League, Jurgen Klopp, Manchester City, Carabao Cup
Chris Byfield